Printing device



April 9 1933- R. M. DUGDALE L8L596 PRINTING DEVICE Filed June 21, 1930 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE RICHARD M. DUGZDALE, OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB 'I'O FARRINGTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSEFI'S, A CORPORATION 01' MASSACHUSETTS PRINTING DEVICE Application filed June 21, 1930. Serial No. 482,784.

This invention relates to printing devicesoperating with customer-carried tokens havof the type adapted to print from individual printing plates such as are employed for example in identifying charge customers in 5 department stores. Such printing plates, which comprise the subject matter of my copending application, Serial No. 374,715, filed June 29, 1929,,preferably comprise a sheet of thin metal having a struck-up typehearing central portion surrounded by a depending flange. These sheet metal plates are formed from sheet metal blanks by a stamping operation, and are thin so that the type characters may be embossed thereon.

The printing device adapted to use these plates includes a plate holder shaped to interfit with the plate, for instance by the provision of recesses within which the flanges of the plate may fit, or the provision of a supporting member extending into the struck-up recess between the flanges of the plate. Because of the thin sheet metal of which they necessarily must be made, the or various printing plates which cooperate from time to time with a given printing machine may exhibit irregularities in the efi'ective heights of certain of their type'characters, 'due for example to irregularity in em bossing the type characters, or to slight malformation of the opposite longitudinal.

flanges of a plate. Thus a row of type characters on one'part of the plate may extend to a greater height than those on the other M part of the plate when the plate is in printin position within the printing device. Furthermore the surface of the printing characters of a given line of type may not extend to the same height throughout the length of the line. In such case the lower line of printing characters of a plate at one end of a plate may extend to the greater height, while at the opposite end of the plate the upper line of printing characters may extend to the greater height.

One object of my invention is to provide printing devices capable of producing uniform legible impressions from-such imperfect plates and more particularly to provide a device suitable for use in printing names and addresses on sales slips and capable of ing the imperfections described above. Other advantages, objects of invention and structural improvements will be apparent from the explanation in this specification and its accompanying drawing of a specific illustrative embodiment of my invention.

For the purposes of illustration and by way of exam le my invention will be explained by re erence to its embodiment in a device ofv the type claimed in m copending application, Serial No. 404,290, led November 2, 1929.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a printing device illustrative of my invention, the devicehaving one wall of its casing removed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the backing member or plate holder of the device'of Fig. 1, on a reduced scale;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a printing plate in the form of a token adapted to be carried by a customer and adapted to be utilized in the machine of Fig. 1 for printing a customers name and address upon a sales slip;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of ,Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 4 but showing, in exaggerated degree, the cooperation of the device with an imperfect printing plate;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of a pressure roller and parts of its actuating mechanism, the casing of the machine and certain other parts being removed for clarity of illustration.

Referring to Fig. 3 a thin sheet metal printing plate 31, such as disclosed in aforesaid application Serial No. 374,715 and suitable for use in the device of the present invention, includes a central struck-up portion having thereon lines of type characters 33 which may spell in direct order the name and address of a customer who carries the plate. A depending flange 34 (Figs. 3 and 4) preferably extends completely around the central type-bearing portion of the Plate, this conformation of the plate performing the dual function of imparting strength and some rigidity to the ductile plate, and of 10 providing for the positioning of the plate in a rinting device.

he rintin device of Fig. 1 is provided with a ase indicated generally by the reference character 1 which includes a backing member 11 recessed at 37 (Fig. 2) to receive the depending flan e 34 of a sheet-metal printing plate 31. Fig. 4 illustrates a preferred interfittin relation of the sheetmetal printin p ate 31 and the backing member 11 which forms part of the base. As shown in Fig. 4, a central portion 39 of the backing member extends within the struck-u portion of the printing plate 31 and in tis interfitting relation the plate is retained with its type characters 33 in printing position, both by means of the engagement of the flanges 34 with the sides of the groove 37 (which act as raised guide members) and by the engagement of the outwardly facing shoulders of the central portion 39 of the backing member with the inwardly facing parts of the plate at the side of its struck-up central portion. However, the printing plates may be detachably retained In either of these ways, that is, solely by the engagement of their flanges 34 with the sides of the recess or by'the engagement of the outwardly facing shoulders of the central pro'ection 39 on the backing member with the inwardly facing parts of the plate at the sides of the struck-up central portion thereof. The plate, through thus positioned against horizontal displacement, may readily be removed vertically.

A casing 14 containing a pressure member, herein shown as a roller 15, and an ink ribbon 16 together with suitable ribbon advancing mechanism, is pivoted at 17 to the backing member portion of the base, and may be swung to the right in Fig. 1 to give access to the upper side of the printin plate retaining means for the insertion of the printing plate and the sheet or sheets to be printed. An operating handle 20 associated with the casing and pivotally mounted thereon at 20 serves to depress a vertical plunger 21 carrying a cam 22 at its lower.

end. A sleeve 80, fixed to the casing, is rovided with a depending extension or racket 81, which carries a transverse pivot pin 82 extending therethrough. Upon this pin 82 is pivotally mounted a bifurcated actuating arm 24, as shown particularly in Fig. 6. The arm 24 carries near its upper end a cam follower 23 adapted to engage with and be moved by the cam 22 mounted on the plunger 21. Thus depressing the actuating handle 20 causes the cam 22 to swing the bifurcated arm 24 about its pivot 82, to the left in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1 the casing 14 preferably is provided with an inner shell comprising a vertical back portion 100 and vertical side portions 101 and 102, this inner then be shell being fastened rigidly, for instance at its back portion 100, to the casing 14. The vertical side ortions 101 and 102 are spaced from the ad acent side walls of the casing 14 (Fig. 1) and are provided with inwardly directed curved ortions 101, 101", 102 and 10 2 which ena le these side portions 101 and 102 to serve as guides for the ink ribbon 16 between ribbonreels 2.

lteferring to Fi s. 1, 4 and 5, a channelshaped guide mem er having dependin vertical flanges 90 and 90 is provided wit vertically extending brackets 93 and 94 fast thereto. These brackets 93 and 94 are pivotally mounted by means of loosely fitting rivets 95 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) to the side portions 101 and .102 respectively of the inner shell 101 of the casing. Thus the channelshaped guide 90 is capable of tilting about an axis parallel to its direction of length, for instance from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5.

The pressure roll 15 is mounted within the channel-shaped guide 90 and is provided with journals 15" and 15", which engage and roll in slots 96 and 96 in the opposite flanges of the guide 90. The roll 15 is provided with an axially extending pin 97 which extends to either side of the guide 90 and engages loosely within slots 98 in the opposite branches of the bifurcated arm 24. In this way swinging of the bifurcated arm 24 by actuation of the handle 20, as explained above, serves to move the pressure roll 15 across the casing and over a printin plate retained by the base. B virtue o the pivotal mounting of the gui e 90 within the casing, the pressure roll 15 is ada ted to conform to irregularities in height 0 the various lines of type characters on a printing plate. The pin and slot connection between the roll 15 and the bifurcated arm .24 permits actuating movement of the handle 20 to be communicated to the roll 15 in any of the various tilting positions which the roll may assume.

In the operation of the device, the casing 14 is swung to the right in Fig. 1 to expose the upper surface of the backing member 11, and the typographical plate 31 is inserted with its flange 34 within the recess 37. A sheet of a sales book (or' a plurality of sheets with interposed carbon paper) may placed upon the upper surface of the printing plate with the main body of the book occupying the space between the backing member 11 and the remainder of the base. Then by swinging the casing 14 down to the position of Fig. 1 by means of the handle 20 and then further depressing the handle 20, the pressure roll 15 may be moved over the inked ribbon 16, the sheet or sheets to be printed, and the printing plate, thereby to reproduce the indicia of the plate upon the upper surface or surfaces of the sheet or sheets inserted in the machine. The guide 90 and the pressure roll 15 are free, as the pressure roll reacts with the printing plate, to tilt about an axisparalle to the direction of movement of the roll, so that uniformity of printing is obtained even in the case of non-uniformity of heightof the type characters of the various lines.

I claim:

1. A stamping device for rinting from individual printing plates aving raised type characters thereon, comprising a base including means for detachably retaining a printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a movable head, and a pressure member carried by said head, said pressure member beingmounted on said head for tilting with res ect thereto.

2. A stamping device or printing from individual printing plates having raised type characters thereon, comprisinga base including means for detachably retalninga printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a movable head, and a pressure member carried-by said head and movable over a printing plate to press sheets of paper against a printing plate retained by the base, said pressure member bem mounted for tilting with respect to the hea upon reacting on the printing plate, thereby to print evenly from non-uniform plates.

3. A stamping device for printing from individual printing plates having ralsed type characters thereon, comprisinga base including means for detachably retaininga printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a movable head, and a pressure member carried bysaid head for pressing a sheet against the plate, sald pressure member being mounted for movement over the printing plate andfor tilting with respect to the head to accommodate irregularities in the printing plate.

4. A stamping device for printing from individual printing plates having raised type characters thereon, comprisinga base including means for detachably retaininga printing plate with its type characters 1n printing position, a movable head, a pressure member movable over the plate for pressing a sheet against the plate, a guide on said head for the pressure member, said guide being mounted on said head for tilting with respect thereto, thereby to permit the pressure member to accommodate itself to irregularities in the printing plates.

5. A stamping device for printing from individual printing plates having raised type characters thereon, comprising a base including means for detachably retaining a printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a movable head, a pressure roller, a guide for restraining said roller to movement across the plate, said guide being mounted on said head for tilting with respect thereto.

6. A printing device for printing from individual printing plates, comprising a base including means for detachably retaining a printing plate with its type characters in printin position, a casing. movable toward and %r said casing for tilting relative thereto, a pressure member retained by the guide and movable across the casing over the printing plate, and means for moving said pressure member when the latter is in various tilting positions.

7. A printing device for printing from individual printing plates having lines of type characters thereon, comprising a base including means for detachably retaining a printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a casing movable toward and from the base, a guide pivoted to said casing for tilting relative thereto about an axis generally parallel to the lines of type characters on the printing plate, a pressure member retained by the guide and movable across the casing over the printing plate, and actuating means for moving said pressure member across the printing plate while permitting tilting of the guide and pressure members to accommodate irregularities in the printing plate.

8. A printing device for printing from individual printin plates, the comblnation of means for detac ably retaining a printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a pressure roller movable over a om the base, a guide pivoted to printing plate thus retained, and rollerguiding means having tilting movement about an axis generally parallel to the direction of movement of the roller over the plate.

9. In a printing device for printing from individual printing plates, the combination of means for detachably retaining a printing plate in printing position, a pressure roller movable over a printing plate thus retained, and roller-guiding means bodily rotatable about a fixed axis for positioning the roller for printing, and having tilting movement about an axis generally parallel to the direction of movement of the roller over the printing plate to permit the roller to conform to the configuration of the plate.

10. In a printing device for printing from individual printing plates havin raised type characters thereon, the combination of a base including means for detachably retaining a printing plate with its type characters in printing position, a casing pivotally mounted with respect to the plateretaining means, a channel-shaped guide within the casing over the plate-retaining means, said guide having slots in its opposite flanges, a pressure roller including journalsextending into said slots, and a pivotal connection between said guide and the casing to permit tilting of the roller albout an axis generally parallel to the said s ots.

11. A printing device of the class described com rising a base, a raised portion projecting rom the immediately adjacent portions of the base and a detachable printing plate having a generally rectangular recess on its rear face, type c aracters rojectin from the plate opposite to sai recess, t e said raised ortion havin an outwardly facing shoul er on each 0 its four sides and the late having marginal abutments on the our sides of said recess for cooperating with said shoulders to prevent lateral dis lacement of the plate from the said raise portion in two dimensions.

12. A printing device of the class described comprising a base, a raised portion projecting from the immediately adjacent portions of the base and a detachable sheet metal printing plate having marginal flanges which define a generally rectangular recess in its rear face,-the plate having proa marginal flange bordering the recess, said holder com rising a base, a raised ortion projecting rom the immediately a jacent portions of the base and adapted to extend within the recess of the plate, and raised guide portions on the base spaced from said raised portion, thereby defining a recess for the reception of the marginal flange of the plate between said guide portions and the said raised portion.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 2nd day of June, 1930.

RICHARD M. DUGDALE.

jectin type characters 'on its face opposite to sai recess, the recess of the plate and the said raised portion being of such relative proportions that the plate may be super posed on the base with the said raised portion extending within said recess, thereby to prevent lateral displacement of the plate from the platform in two dimensions while allowing the plate to be removed from the device by movement perpendicular to the baseand raised portion.

13. A printing device of the class described comprising a holder for supporting a printing plate having a bottom recess and a marginal flange substantially bordering the recess, said holder comprising a base havin a raised portion projecting from the imme iately adjacent portions thereof and correspondlng to the platerecess, and a raised guide substantially surrounding the said raised portion and bordering an inter vening recess for receiving the marginal flange of the plate.

14. A printing device of the class described including a holder for supportin a printing plate having a bottom recess and a. marginal flan e substantially bordering the recess, said older comprising a base, a raised portion projecting from immediate- 1y adjacent portions of the base and adapted to extend within the recess of the plate, and a raised guide substantially surrounding said raised portion and bordering an intervening recess for receiving the marginal flange of the plate, whereby the holder is adapted to OSltlOILthG plate in both longitudmal and transverse dimensions.

15. A printing device of the class described includin a holder for supporting a printing plate aving a bottom recess and 

